Two missing Colorado Mountain College hikers were found dead Wednesday afternoon in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County, ending a multi-day search that had drawn helicopters, drones, search dogs and beacon technology. Sheriff Andy Rohrich said investigators do not suspect foul play.
The hikers were Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon, and they were found around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday after search crews moved through the snowbound terrain near West Apostle Mountain. Colorado Mountain College said it was devastated by their loss, and said the students had planned to camp near Ice Mountain and attempt a climb over the weekend.
The search had started Monday morning, when the college contacted authorities after the two students failed to return. Deputies found their vehicle at a nearby trailhead, and a helicopter later spotted their tent, collapsed under heavy snow in a basin below the peaks. That discovery pushed investigators to widen the search around nearby West Apostle Peak.
About 60 searchers worked the area, but several feet of snow, icy conditions and hazardous terrain made it too dangerous to reach some places on foot. Flight for Life was also trying to locate an avalanche beacon that Jackson typically carried, and officials brought in search dogs to work from scent articles taken from the tent. Winter weather expected later in the week threatened to ground aircraft, limit drone operations and bury fresh clues under more snow.
Rohrich said the exact cause and manner of death will be determined by autopsy. That leaves the central question unanswered even after the search ended: what happened to the pair after they set out for the weekend climb. Colorado Mountain College said its focus now is on supporting students, faculty and staff in Leadville, while Rohrich said, “We’re going to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
